Norwegian Dawn vs Norwegian Epic

The Norwegian Dawn was built in 2002. It was renovated in 2016. It's 8 years older than the Epic, which was built in 2010 and renovated in 2025.

Comparison Overview

• Ship Size
• Number of Passengers
• Food and Restaurants
• Bars and Drinks
• Pools and Hot Tubs
• Ship Features and Activities
• Cruise Costs
• Onboard Costs

Ship Size

The Dawn is considered a small size ship. Coming in at 965 feet long and 125 feet wide, it's roughly the length of 2.7 football fields, as wide as 2.4 tractor-trailers and the same height as a 12-story building. Compared to the Norwegian Epic, the Dawn is 47% smaller in terms of overall tons.

Number of Passengers

Norwegian Dawn holds 43% fewer passengers than the Epic based on double occupancy (two people per room). When you look at the "Space Ratio," or the total tonnage of a ship compared to the number of passengers, the Dawn has less space per person compared to the Epic.

Food and Restaurants

Food is a big part of any cruise, and the ship you choose can make a huge difference in your food experience.

The Dawn has thirteen different dining options like Cagney's Steakhouse, Sushi Bar, and Los Lobos. Of those options, nine are complementary, or included with your cruise fare. The other ten options have an additional fee.

The Epic has four more dining venues. Some of its popular venues are The Great Outdoors, La Cucina Italian, and Teppanyaki. Nine of these restaurants are complementary and the other fourteen have an additional fee.

If you like having a variety of places to eat, the Epic might be a better choice. It has 31% more dining options than the Dawn.

If you're looking to avoid extra money while on board, the Dawn might be a better choice then the Epic. More of the dining options are included in the base cruise fare, potentially saving you money.

Restaurants on Norwegian Dawn & Epic

Bars and Drinks

The Norwegian Dawn has 7 fewer bars than the Norwegian Epic.

In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. Both ships serve the Coca-cola family of products. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship.

You can check out recent the bar menus for the Dawn and the Epic below.

Pools and Hot Tubs

Nothing beats relaxing by a pool with a nice drink in hand as you feel the fresh sea breeze pass by you. The Norwegian Dawn has a total of 2 pools and 5 hot tubs. 1 of the pools are exclusive access, which means there's either an extra charge to access them or you need to book a certain class of cabin to have access to them.

Norwegian Epic has more pools than the Dawn and more hot tubs. There are more exclusive pools and hot tubs on the Epic. If you don't mind paying for exclusive access to areas in order to have less crowds, this might be a better choice.

Ship Features and Activities

Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. Below you'll see a list of some of the major features on these ships. On the Dawn, 60% of the activities below are included in the cruise fare. On the Epic, only 56% of the activities are included, meaning you might spend more money while on board.

Cruise Costs

Norwegian is a mainstream cruise line. Mainstream cruise lines cater to a variety of guests, hoping to provide something for everyone. These typically cost about $100 - $350 per person per day.

Cruise pricing is dynamic and varies for each specific sailing based on factors such as departure point, ports of call, and time of year. Typically newer ships cost more, so a cruise on Norwegian Dawn will likely be cheaper than on Norwegian Epic.

Onboard Costs

Another way to gauge the cost of a cruise is to consider how much you'll spend on board. Even though a lot is included in the base cruise fare, you may still spend money on things like spa treatments, specialty dining, drinks, and excursions. In addition, guests can also have to pay for things like gratuities and tips.

Typically guests can expect to spend about 25 - 40% of the cost of the cruise on onboard expenses. In other words, if the cruise fare is $1,000 per person, you might spend between $250 and $400 on extra expenses.

The table below will help you understand what you might spend onboard a Norwegian ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a Free at Sea fare. Through this program, guests receive open bar, a discount on excursions, some free internet, and some meals at specialty restaurants. If you book using this promotion, you'll be responsible for the gratuities on the dining and drink package. If you won't be using these options, booking a "sail away" rate that doesn't include the Free at Sea benefits is considerably cheaper. Also, most of these benefits are the base packages; you can spend more to upgrade to better alcoholic drinks or faster/more wifi.

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